Stay-down shirt



LAR

STAY-DOWN SHIRT I Filed Sept. 18, 1928 I I llllllll l INVENTOR. ./o.9P/-/ CLA I? BY y . ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 23, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. CLARK, 0F BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA STAY-DOWN. semen Application filed September 18, 1928. Serial N'o. 306,651.

a stay-down shirt, which makes use of an' elastic band disposed at the waist of the shirt for engaging with the body of the wearer to hold the lower portion of the shirt in place. The band is long enough to not create a bind ing eifect'upon the wearer.

Gathers are taken in the back of the shirt, so as to make the back shorterin Width than the portion of the elastic band extending along the back. This construction permits the band to lengthen without'tearing loose from the shirt. The front of the shirt is not provided with gathers, and, therefore, it resembles a standard shirt.

A modified form of the device uses two,

lengths of elastic hand,- these being secured to each other by strings, or other suitable fastening means, so that the wearer can adjust the strings as he desires.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the shirt, a portion of the front being turned back to show the elastic band; and

Figure 2 shows a modified form of the device.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of a standard shirt 1. At the waist-line of the shirt I secure an elastic band 2. The

band is preferably placed upon the inside ofequal the length of the portion of band extending across the back. When the shirt is placed upon the wearer the back portion of the elastic band will be lengthened, and this lengthening is permitted by the gathers 3.

The front of the shirt remains flat. There form of .the device.

is no stretching of the elastic band in the front, and, therefore, there will be no undue strain placed upon the front of the shirt. In shirts for older men, the front portion of the band dips downwardly so as to extend below the enlarged abdomen.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood.

The shirt is worn in the usual manner. It

may be provided with front flaps 4 and a tailpiece 5, or not, as desired. The buttoning of the lowermost button causes the elastic band 2 to entirely encircle the waist of the wearer. The length of the band is such as to cause it to snugly engage with the body without having any binding eflect. The band is made of a washable material, and in this way will last throughout the life of the shirt. The only extension of the band is at the back, as already stated. This articular construction prevents the front of the shirt from beingbunched when worn. If the front-piece 4 and the tail-piece 5 are dispensedwith, the band 2 is preferably made 7 much wider, so as to have a greatergripping effect upon the body.

In Figure 2 I show a slightly modified Two elastic strips 10 are secured to a shirt 11, in exactly the same manner as already described. The ends12 of the strips are spaced from each other at the back of the shirt, and are connected to each other by strings 13, or other suitable fastening means. In putting on this shirt, the

lowermost button is fastened, and then the strings 13 are drawn together until the proper tension is applied to the elastic strips 10. The strings are then tied, and the shirt will function in exactly the same manner as the one already described. The strings 13 pro- Vide an adjustable fastening means for the elastic band.

Although I have shown and described two embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of va rious changes, and I reserve the right to em ploy such changes as may come within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

A stay-down shirt having a two-piece elastic band secured to the shirt at the waist, the pieces extending from the front of the shirt 5 being spaced a slight distance from each other at the back, the portions of the back of the shirt secured to the two pieces having gathers therein, and adjustable means for securing the rear endsof the bands together. JOSEPH H. CLARK. 

